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September 13, 2010 — This fall's "move-in weekend" at UW was more sustainable than in
previous years. That's because Residence Life & Dining Services
staff members worked with students, several UW departments and local
residents on a major cardboard recycling effort at the residence halls
and a home product giveaway at the UW Apartments.

"With nearly 2,000 students living in the residence halls and roughly
300 in on-campus apartments, there is a lot of potential for waste on
move-in weekend," says Associate Director for Residence Life Tony Earls.
"These programs are driven by the students' motivation to make a
difference and make move-in weekend more sustainable."

Through the efforts of the Residence Halls Association (RHA) and UW
Recycling, nearly 8,800 pounds of cardboard were collected as students
moved into the residence halls, exceeding last year's total by more than
a ton.

RHA and Residence Life personnel broke down cardboard boxes at
collection areas outside the halls. Parents and students were very
supportive, and many flattened their boxes before bringing them to
collection areas. UW Recycling picked up cardboard from the collection
points at regular intervals.

"By collecting recycling in a visible way from day one, we set the
tone for a sustainable mindset," says RHA Executive Branden Hays. "And,
with the data collected by UW Recycling, we can raise awareness about
sustainability throughout the year."

There is also evidence that the amount of trash hauled away during
move-in decreased significantly. Only one large rollaway trash bin had
to be emptied an extra time. Last year bins had to be emptied six times.

"While it's hard to get exact data on the amount of trash collected,
we made fewer trips to the dump this year," says Tod Scott of UW
Recycling. "I'm confident that we definitely picked up less trash this
year than we have in the past, and regardless of the anecdotal data, we
do know that we diverted even more cardboard from going to the landfill
than in previous years."

At the University Apartments, the Home Products Give Away encouraged
the reuse of unwanted items while also meeting international students'
need to acquire basic home items once they arrive.

With the help of volunteers from the International Student Services
(ISS) Office, International Programs, College of Arts and Sciences and
Residence Life, items were collected for two weeks before the event and
were distributed at the Aug. 21 giveaway. Items included clothing,
electronics, kitchen utensils, cooking supplies, home decor and more.

"Sid Walter and Christie Beth Stebbins started this program a number
of years ago," says Residence Life Assistant Director Michelle Black.
"The response this year was wonderful, and we want to thank the UW
Campus and Laramie Community for their donations."